Do You Swim in Wonder?

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Benign sun warms my hair, cool ocean breeze kisses my face and exposed arms. The smells of saltwater & sunscreen fill my nose. Children shriek in delight as the cold water kisses their toes and sends exploratory fingers up their thighs. The sky is an impossible shade of blue, lightened toward the south where it provides a powdery blue backdrop for the villas that coat the hillside.

Eire crosses her arms and looks at the ocean while the sun glints on her tousled hair. She’s covered in sand, and the salty wet has reached her waist. I can’t even begin to guess what’s happening inside her mind, but one thing I can see we have in common: a sense of wonder at how much bigger the ocean is than us.

–Little Corona Beach, CA / mid-morning / off the grid

Coffee Wednesday: Cafecito Organico

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I walk through the leafy maze, brushing hanging viney tendrils with my sunburnt arms. The memory of sand still clings to my legs as I ogle stylish shoppers and willowy models in photoshoots. Breaking open the lava surface of a molasses-apricot cookie, I watch the dark crumbs fall on the darker table.

I hold a cappuccino, graced with a relaxed swan. Its bitterness stands in counterpoint to the earthy ginger and sorghum of my cookie, the textures silk and chewy grit. Pages of notes glow in the light. Baristas chatter about their favorite obsolete breakfast cereals.

I am at Cafecito Organico, where the motto is Cafe O Muerte—Coffee or Death. Nestled in the maze of retail stores in Costa Mesa’s The LAB Antimall, Cafecito is a unique shop with a familiar and comforting vision—great coffee, grown on earth by humans.

I, for one, feel more human here.

—Costa Mesa, CA / late morning / Cafecito Organico

The Secret of Gossamer Mornings

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There’s a hum in the air, a suspension of sound, as if we are wrapped in fine silk. On the stubby grass, the shadow-line of the patio roof is a jagged fissure edged with dark and bright green blades. The scent of ornamental pink pepper wafts in the cool morning breeze.

I breathe and consciously set aside the weight of life for the gossamer morning. A cup of Guatemala in a handmade mug leaves a faint circle on the dust-covered wooden table as I sip and ponder.

This morning, there is sun, there is shade, and there is a daughter dwarfed by my red sun-hat. It promises to be a good day.

–Anaheim, CA / mid-morning / Coffea Roasterie, SD

How to Enjoy a LA Traffic Jam

IMG_4725Driving in LA is like hiccuping. The traffic lurches forward then peels to a halt. We are ants crawling with our noses to each other’s abdomens. Bumper stickers, dust, and dents reveal personality. Instead of staring at skin and clothes, we assess each other’s carapaces. We’re stalled on the 91 West, headed toward Kean Coffee in Tustin. To our right is a weathered brick wall, with streaks of guano and climbing vegetation like lace dripping in green and brown. Palm trees reveal their rough thighs as they lift their fronds to the sky. The affogato was worth it.

Orange County, CA / early afternoon / Kean Coffee, CA